By Ochiaka Ugwu
In a bid to make Nigerian transportation infrastructure accessible, safe, secured and dynamic, the Minister of Transportation, Said Ahmed Alkali has assured of sustainable collaboration with Chinese entities.
Alkali who made this know Thursday at the opening of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Abuja, expressed appreciation for the honor of recognizing Ministry of Transportation as a strategic partner in sustaining the long-standing Nigeria-China infrastructure cooperation and many other bilateral platforms that seek to enhance economic potentials of Nigeria and China.
His words, “It is with deep sense of pleasure, I want to assure this forum of the Federal Ministry of Transportation commitment to ensure the realization of renewed hope agenda of our dear president through sustainable collaboration with Chinese entities to make the transportation infrastructure accessible, safe, secured and dynamic under our laws that promote environmental friendliness and safety.
“This diversified event is organized as a follow-up to the outcome of the Forum of China-African Cooperation, FOCAC, held in Beijing in September this year.
“It is hoped that the central objective of promoting the infrastructure, economic trade, and relations between China and Nigeria will be sustained to make this engagement as achievable as FOCAC, whose combined effect will see the two countries as mutual partners with desirable commitment to consolidate the shared future of gains of economic prosperity embedded in the relations” he said.
Also speaking, Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, Joseph Tegbe informed that Nigeria’s target is to be the net exporter to China in the next five years.
According to him, “This new dawn presents an opportunity to be part of this opportunity for full security resolution in Africa, using advanced Chinese method, techniques and technology, and we will see that there is a mission on ground, a lot of equipment, run for lunar progress.
“The Nigerian-China Strategic Partnership is already meeting results. As of today, one of China’s companies, Huawei, trains an average of 1,200 Nigerians every year in Nigeria.
“As we speak, 30 Nigerian officials, drawn from various ministries, departments and agencies, are in China, undergoing an intensive training on the governance of China and the strengthening of economic development between China and Nigeria.
“The strengthening of economic development is an ambitious mission by Huawei, a company that operates in the United States.
“It is also worth noting that industrializing Nigeria means industrializing 25% of Africa. An economically sound and stable Nigeria signifies a prosperous culture of Africa.
“In wrapping up, let me inform all participants in this room, the Chinese businesses, those who are here in Nigeria before, those who are expected to be in Nigeria, a couple of them, which are CCCC, CCECC, and CIG, and many other companies, who are looking to invest in Nigeria and compete with Nigeria, feel free to contact the office in the Nigerian China Securities Partnership.
“Our team of advisors will give you an advice and direct support. And this is also an advice, vice versa, to Nigerian businesses who are looking to build business in China” he said.
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Mr. Yu Dunhai said the exhibition was an important event organized to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit Forum and the consensus reached between Nigeria and China heads of state.
“I am pleased to see that this exhibition brings together many outstanding entrepreneurs and innovators in a wide range of fields, including engineering, contracting, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, energy conservation, environmental protection, and green energy.
“Through the exhibition and exchanges, we believe it can play an important role in further promoting the process of industrialization and agricultural modernization in Nigeria, and facilitate in-depth cooperation between our two countries in all fields.”
Chairman, China International Contractors Association, Mr. Fang Qiuchen informed that Chinese firms were gathering funds to invest in Nigeria as a fallout of the recent FOCAC summit.
His words, “We want to be together to work on the infrastructure, on the projects, especially on the new energy projects, as well as the digital smart cities, many renovation projects.
“So, we are here, we’ll bring the capital, we’ll bring our technology, we’ll also bring the very genuine, honest, we want to collaborate with the Nigerian partners for a very pragmatic cooperation to do some of the works here so that we can grow together to benefit the economic and social development of Nigeria.
“So, China is also working with a consortium of all the banks together, African banks and China Development Bank. We want to work together to financing more of the projects here in Nigeria, so that they can benefit the economic development” he said.
